Skipper is on board with the Stro show
Montoya gets why Stroman tries to mess with hitters’ timing
Marcus Stroman used to get under Charlie Montoyo’s skin.
The Blue Jays right-hander is known for showing some personality on the mound with his hesitation move, various arm angles and token shoulder shimmies. When Montoyo was a coach with the Tampa Bay Rays, he was not a fan.
“When I was coaching third, every time I’d go by (Stroman) I felt like saying something to him because it bothered me that much,” Montoyo said Saturday.
Now, the Blue Jays manager is all for the fun and games. “Of course at the end of the day you got to have good stuff to get people out, but I think that messes up with people’s timing and stuff,” he said. “And it works for him. Not everybody can do that but he’s able to do it.”
Stroman threw his first official bullpen session of spring training Saturday. The right-hander declined to speak to media, but Montoyo said he was pleased to see Stroman healthy and working with all his pitches.
The 27-year-old Stroman, a subject of trade rumours this off-season, goes into 2019 looking to bounce back after a down year in which he posted a career-worst 5.54 ERA in 102 1⁄ 3 innings. He missed more than a month with right shoulder fa- tigue, starting in early May, was sidelined again with blisters in late August and was eventually shut down for most of September because of the hot spot.
Pitching coach Pete Walker believes Stroman is on a mission to prove last year was a blip on the radar.
“His stuff is tremendous in the sides that I’ve seen,” Walker said. “He feels like his normal self, he’s bouncing around again, which is good to see. I like to see him with energy and having fun.” TRAVIS IN THE OUTFIELD: If playing in the outfield means more at-bats, Devon Travis is up for the challenge. Montoyo is preaching flexibility, and the 27-year-old second baseman could see some time in left field.
Travis’s professional experience in the outfield amounts to three games in centre with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves when he was in the Detroit Tigers system in 2014. He will work with first base coach Mark Budzinski to learn the ropes.
“Obviously it’s going to be a little bit of challenge but I have plenty of time to get ready,” he said, “and the few games I was out there I was pretty comfortable.”
Travis slashed .232/.275/.381 with a .656 OPS in 2018, which included a near-month-long demotion to Triple-A Buffalo in May.
He said he is fully healthy in spring training for the first time in three years. FUELLING PHELPS: The Jays will practise patience with reliever David Phelps, 32, who is11 months removed from Tommy John surgery.
“For me, we’re going to need David Phelps to compete in the American League East,” Montoyo said. “I really want him to get back to where he was.”
Phelps is believed to be on track for opening day but Toronto won’t push him or give him an innings count this spring.
Phelps, who signed a one-year, $2.5-million (U.S.) deal with a club option for 2020, had a 3.40 ERA in 55 2⁄3 innings in 2017.